A Study on a Morphological Identification of Achyranthes and Cyathula Root

우슬(牛膝)의 형태(形態) 감별에 관한 연구

Objectives : A morphological classification among Achyranthes japonica Nakai (produced in Korea), A. bidentata Blume (imported from China), and Cyathula officinalis Kuan (used in China exclusively) was made through microscopic observation. Method : The slice of the tested material made by paraffin section technique was colored with Safranine Malachite Green contrast methods, and then observed and photographed by olymphus-BHT. Result : 1. Korean A. japonica Nakai has slim roots, whose diameter is $1{\sim}5\;mm$. 1) Most of its intersection is stele, which includes a lot of vascular bundles. The inside of vascular bundles shows the arrangement of $2{\sim}4$ cycles, the innermost wheel of which is divided into two parts. 2) Parts of parenchymatous cell include Crystal sand of calcium oxalate. 2. The diameter of the roots of Chinese A. bidentata Blume is $0.4{\sim}1\;cm$. 1) The xylem in the vascular bundle in the middle of its intersection is rather big, around which the inner parts of the vascular bundles are arranged in the shape of $2{\sim}4$ cycles around. The most outside part of it is small, and the middle part is gathered into $2{\sim}3$ groups. 2) Parts of parenchymatous cells include Crystal sand of calcium oxalate. 3. The roots of Chinese C. officinalis Kuan is thick, whose diameter is $0.5{\sim}3\;cm$. 1) Vascular bundle of its intersection is spotted, arranged in the shape of $4{\sim}11$ concentric circles, whose center is divided into $2{\sim}9$ groups. 2) Parenchymatous cells include crystal sand and square crystal of calcium oxalate. Conclusion : It is concluded that Achyranthes japonica Nakai, A. bidentata Blume, and C. officinalis Kuan have different shapes in both external forms and internal intersections, so that they can be easily distinguished from one another through microscopic observation.